Fantasy Football Week Two Running Back Waiver Wire: Malcolm Brown, Raheem Mostert, More

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 08: Malcolm Brown #34 of the Los Angeles Rams waves to the fans after scoring a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter of their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 08, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

The first week of NFL action is in the book, and the fantasy football landscape is starting to take shape. After months of projection, the first one or two weeks of the season are the most crucial times to nail your waiver wire selections. There aren’t many great running back waiver wire options on the table, so you’ll need to make sure to grab Malcolm Brown, Raheem Mostert, Chris Thompson, or Adrian Peterson

Note that in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better players available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.

Malcolm Brown

It’s official: Todd Gurley is no longer a workhorse back. The Rams are clearly taking a cautious approach with their running back and insist on splitting his workload in a committee. Right now, Malcolm Brown is set to be the primary complement to Gurley. In Week One, Brown received 11 carries for 53 yards and two touchdowns.

Brown’s going to see enough work to be a flex play with high-touchdown upside. Brown was the primary red-zone back in Week One and could have huge weeks if Los Angeles continues to use him in that type of role. The Rams are going to score a lot of points, and Brown could be a huge waiver add if he sees Gurley’s goal-line carries.

Raheem Mostert

The San Francisco 49ers simply cannot keep their running backs on the field. Jerick McKinnon hasn’t played a snap since tearing his ACL in 2018, and now Tevin Coleman suffered an ankle injury. Early reports indicate he’s going to miss some time, meaning that Raheem Mostert is going to see some snaps. Matt Breida is going to be the lead guy, but head coach Kyle Shanahan always rotates his running backs.

Last year, Mostert played well in a similar situation. The fourth-year running back recorded 261 carries and one touchdown on just 34 carries. While he obviously won’t be THAT efficient again, he’s an NFL-caliber running back who can play well when given the chance. If you need running back depth and you can’t get Malcolm Brown, Mostert should be a nice consolation prize.

Chris Thompson/Adrian Peterson

Chris Thompson is only a play for deeper leagues, as there isn’t much value in being a part-time player in the Washington Redskins offense. However, if you’re in a 12-team league or just a deep 10-team league, Thompson can be a valuable bench piece, especially in PPR formats. Thompson recorded three carries for 10 yards but also had seven catches for 68 yards.

Quarterback Case Keenum is not a fan of pushing the ball down the field, and Washington doesn’t have many proven receiving threats. Thompson isn’t going to do what James White did in 2018, but his hands out of the backfield could give him fantasy relevance moving forward. There are better options out there, but you could do worse than Chris Thompson.

UPDATE: Derrius Guice is going to miss the next couple of weeks with a knee injury. This makes Adrian Peterson a low-ceiling, high-floor flex play in deeper leagues.